Michigan Basketball: Predictions, how to watch against North Carolina

Michigan basketball will take on North Carolina in the semifinals of the Battle 4 Atlantis Thursday and here’s how to watch as well as predictions.

While there is certainly a tradition of watching the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day in the state of Michigan, with Michigan basketball taking on North Carolina in the Bahamas at roughly the same time, fans will have a tough choice to make.

The Wolverines earned their way into the semifinals of the Battle 4 Atlantis with a win over Iowa State Wednesday. North Carolina also advanced by knocking off Alabama.

That sets up yet another matchup between Michigan basketball and North Carolina. The two teams have met just seven times in their history, with the most famous matchup coming in 1993, when the Wolverines lost to the Tar Heels in the national title game.

Juwan Howard played on that team and now he will coach the Wolverines, who defeated North Carolina 84-67 at Crisler in 2018.

Of course, both teams are much different then than they are now. In addition to a new head coach, Michigan basketball has new starters in Franz Wagner and Eli Brooks, as well as a bunch of young guys playing around the core of Isaiah Livers, Jon Teske and Zavier Simpson.

The fifth-ranked Tar Heels are still trying to gel but boast maybe the best player in the country in point guard Cole Anthony. Brandon Robinson also returned to the lineup Wednesday. Garrison Brooks scored 20 in the win over Bama and freshman big Armando Bacot recorded his third straight double-double.

Both teams are talented and with North Carolina ranking ninth in the Kenpom rankings compared to 24th for Michigan, it should be a battle. Here’s how to watch, plus our prediction:

Game Info:

Game 6: Michigan vs North Carolina

When: 1:30 PM EST

Where: Bahamas (Imperial Ballroom Battle 4 Atlantis)

TV: ESPN

Stream: ESPN Plus/Watch ESPN

Radio: WTKA-AM 1050 (Ann Arbor); WWJ-AM 950 (Detroit)

Breakdown/Prediction:

This should be a fun matchup and it will be a great chance to see Howard test his coaching ability against one of the best in the business in Roy Williams. So far though, Howard has been impressive.

His work with the team on the defensive end has been notable, especially in the pick-and-roll, something he studied extensively in the NBA. The offensive pace has also been quicker and even though turnovers have been an issue, he has adapted well to his players.

Michigan Wolverines Basketball

Now that Wagner is back from a wrist injury, Michigan finally has its preferred starting lineup which is Teske, Livers, Wagner, Simpson and Brooks, at least for now. David DeJulius may have something to say about that, but he seems like a better fit as a scorer off the bench.

Colin Castleton and Brandon Johns are also growing with each minute and playing three games in three days should help those guys too, who are in need of experience.

3-point shooting will be key. Roy Williams said it was a concern after Alabama’s John Petty Jr. to hit 7-of-10 shots from beyond the arc Wednesday. That bodes well for a Michigan team littered with shooters, especially Wagner and Livers in the starting five. They combined for five triples in the win over Iowa State.

Teske will need to avoid foul trouble because his presence will be huge on defense and the glass. North Carolina outrebounded Bama 60-31 and that can happen Thursday or Michigan basketball will be sunk.

That means Teske, Livers, Wagner and even Simpson will need to be effective on the glass, as well as reserve bigs like Johns and Castleton.

Offensively, the Wolverines can’t play much better than they have. UM is third in the nation in overall shooting percentage (53.1 percent), while ranking third on 2-pointers (61 percent) and 26th on 3-pointers (40 percent).

Kenpom ranks Michigan 37th on offense and 26th on defense. North Carolina ranks in the top 10 in both categories, which will be a great test for Howard and the Wolverines to see how their numbers hold up against an elite opponent. It’s a measuring stick game and that’s an exciting opportunity for this young but experienced team.

Prediction: North Carolina is a three-point favorite and that seems about right. But Michigan feels more than up to winning this game and it should be an electrifying matchup. Yet, with Franz still feeling his way out, the Wolverines fall short, running out of gas late.

Final score: North Carolina 76, Michigan 72